542 TIiA^'SACTIONS of the American Institute. 



mother potato with each eye. lu this way one large potato can 

 be made to yield seed enough for a peck. Each eye ought to give 

 four pounds. He thought the Harison a very productive variety, 

 and good for the table. 



BEE KEEPING. 



Mr. P. L. Barton, of Salisbury, Conn., says, last fall he buried 

 two hives. One weighed forty-two pounds, and there were foUi.* 

 pounds consumed by March. The other weighed thirty-two 

 pounds, and there were six pounds consumed. He buries under a 

 mound two feet deep, leaving no breathing place. The bees came 

 out in the spring well and thriving. In no other way can ill-stored 

 hives be wintered so well. 



Mr.^asper Hazen, Albany, N. Y., gives the following practical 

 directions and the statistics of bee-keeping: 



1. In commencing work in the spring, as the working force 

 increases, they continue to occuj)y the room until the whole space 

 is improved by such number of workers as can be conveniently 

 accommodated. All the working force more than this clusters out 

 and waits the movement of the queen to lead them to a new home. 



2. The hive with the largest number of boxes will have them 

 filled in nearl}'- the same time that the boxes will be filled, where 

 there are but one or two boxes on a hive. 



3. Demonstrated. — ^In the spring of 1867, I had four Eureka 

 hives of the pattern exhibited. Two of them gave two swarms 

 each, and with their swarms, two hundred and three pounds of 

 surplus honey. Two of them gave no swarms, but gave two hun- 

 dred and ninety-seven pounds of surplus honey. As fast as work- 

 ers were multiplied, they entered the boxes, until the eighteen 

 boxes were filled with workers. The two that gave no swarm, 

 gave the eighteen boxes of surplus, each before colonies in two 

 neighboring apiaries had filled two boxes. One apiar}^ was within 

 two rods, the other within eighty rods. The bees were at work 

 in all the eighteen boxes at the same time. 



4. Expense. — In what class of hives will surplus honey cost 

 most by the pound? It cannot be expected that surplus boxes for 

 one hundred and twenty-five pounds of honey, and a hive suffi- 

 ciently large to make room for the swarm, and to cover the eighteen 

 l)oxes, can be made or purchased with the boxes, as a simple box 

 hive with two surplus honey boxes. But in the use of which, will 

 surplus honey cost least by the pound? With which hive can we 

 secure five hundred pounds of surplus at the least expense? a\lr. 



